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Impact of Manual Therapy on Laryngeal Function Following Total Thyroidectomy
Sponsor: Johns Hopkins University
Summary
In this clinical trial, the investigators are seeking to learn if a course of voice therapy, including neck massage, stretches and pain science education in addition to voice exercise and scar massage will effectively treatment patient complaints of swallowing or voice changes after total thyroidectomy as compared to voice exercise and scar massage alone. The main questions it aims to answer are: Will neck massage, stretches and pain science education reduce patient complaints of swallowing changes after total thyroidectomy? Will neck massage, stretches and pain science education reduce patient complaints of voice changes after total thyroidectomy? Will neck massage, stretches and pain science education reduce patient complaints of scar tethering and quality changes after total thyroidectomy? Will neck massage, stretches and pain science education improve quality of life after total thyroidectomy? Participants will: Participate in 4 visits with the participant's endocrine/laryngology surgeon. One prior and 3 after surgery for endoscopic evaluation and tests. Participate in 5 Speech-Language Pathology Sessions for intervention exercises and tests. One prior and 4 after surgery. Complete a journal of the participant's Home Exercise Practice
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
20
Start Date
2024-06-03
Completion Date
2027-12
Last Updated
2025-06-15
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Anterior Neck Manual Therapy
Manual massage applied to the anterior neck, including hyolaryngeal elevators, depressors, sternocleidomastoid.
Pain Neuroscience Education
Description of how the pain system works from a neurobiological level, discussing the biopsychosocial model that influences pain.
Neck Stretches
Bilateral cervical side bending, cervical extension and bilateral rotational neck stretches held for 20 seconds x3.
Scar massage
Digital manipulation of the scar itself in circles.
Voice Exercises
Stemple Voice Exercises
Placebo Anterior Neck Manual Therapy
Will apply extremely light manual contact to the anterior neck, including hyolaryngeal elevators, depressors, sternocleidomastoid.
Placebo Pain Neuroscience Education
Will discuss how pain will as a result of the surgical intervention.
Placebo Neck Stretches
Will ask patient to look down as a neck stretch held for 20 seconds x3.
Locations (2)
Johns Hopkins Hospital
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Suburban Hospital
Bethesda, Maryland, United States